Shelf Awareness--Parachutes

YA Review: Parachutes

Parachutes by Kelly Yang (Katherine Tegen Books, 496p., ages 14-up, 9780062941084, May 26, 2020)

In this noteworthy, immensely enjoyable novel, Kelly Yang (Front Desk) tackles some of the systemic inequalities that foster racism, misogyny and sexual assault. She convincingly brings to light ways in which victims are often judged more harshly than their aggressors, but also provides a template for change.

As an 11th grader in Shanghai, Claire insists she will support herself rather than rely on a husband. "I have a brain, remember," she snaps at her mom, but her rich family insists that she find a worthy husband: "A Fortune 500 CEO perhaps. Or a second-generation scion." To ensure she gets into a good college, Claire's Chinese tutor provides answers to homework assignments and essay tests, which makes her feel "as though [she's] not capable of producing [her] own thoughts." When Claire writes her own paper, however, she scores such low grades that her concerned parents send her to finish high school in America. Just like that, she's a "parachute," a kid from China who goes to the U.S. without her parents.

Dani is a scholarship student at American Prep, the same school Claire now attends. Dani's a powerhouse on the debate team and a favorite of her coach, Mr. Connelly. Dani's entire college admissions strategy hinges on qualifying for an upcoming debate that all the top coaches, including one from dream school Yale, will be attending. Dani works hard outside of school, too--like her single mom, Dani's employed as a maid and the pair still barely make ends meet. Out of desperation, Dani's mom decides to rent out their spare bedroom to Claire, "a nice girl from China."

The two girls immediately clash: to Dani, Claire seems horribly spoiled, while Claire can't understand Dani's apparent hostility. As Claire navigates her new school, she begins dating Jay, a boy who fits her family's high standards, but she is taken aback by the 129 girls on his phone and the ways he describes other young women: "bubble butt," "button nose," "dimple cheeks." When Jay goes too far, Claire must decide whether to stay quiet as her parents would expect or to speak up. As Claire deals with this trauma, Mr. Connelly comes on to Dani. How she reacts could affect her entire future, and her idolization of him makes his betrayal all the more devastating.

Yang dives with aplomb into issues of opulence and poverty, power and impotence. While it is also a story of friendship amid culture clash, Yang clearly portrays how, though progress is being made, girls and women everywhere deserve more. Main characters Claire and Dani are strong and compelling enough to take on the powers that be, and the supporting cast is fully realized. Whether it's unwanted attention from trusted teachers or lovers going too far, Yang's characters realize they will need to shift the culture to respect women as the strong, intelligent, independent beings they are. --Lynn Becker, blogger and host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI.

Shelf Talker: American high schooler Dani and Chinese "parachute" Claire face similar problems regarding men, aggression and authority.

April Recommendations

Novels:

In THE BRIDGE HOME, by Padma Venkatraman, when Viji’s abusive father directs his violence towards her sister, Viji packs a few meager belongings and the two girls run away to the big city in search of a better future. Life on the streets is hard, but they meet two boys who live on an old bridge. Together, the four children form a family, scrounging for food, and sharing meager resources. How they all fare in this rather desperate situation forms the basis of a moving story of perseverance, quiet heroism, and the expansive scope of family. This will be a main Book Talk book soon. (MG)

Graphic Novels:

THE PHANTOM TWIN, by Lisa Brown, is a mildly spooky, mildly creepy, thoroughly enjoyable ghost story about a pair of conjoined twins who are sold by their parents to a carnival sideshow. When Jane, the more dominant twin, insists on allowing a doctor to try to separate the girls, the surgery is botched. Jane dies, leaving Isabel alone—and not alone. The drawings are well done and the color is superb. (YA)

Picture Books:

In THE OLD TRUCK, by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey, an old farm truck works hard, rests and dreams, then finds new life with another generation of farmer. This upbeat, imaginative story by two brothers is illustrated entirely with 250-plus hand-crafted stamps.

MY BEST FRIEND, written by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Jillian Tamaki, is a friendship story, start to finish. It’s one little girl singing the praises of another, written in Fogliano’s signature, kid-friendly rhythm and style that begs to be read aloud. The digital illustrations, all greens and various shades of red, are full of movement, joy, and fun perspectives.

GREEN ON GREEN, written by Dianne White, illustrated by Felicita Sala, is a poetic look at the changes that one year of seasons can bring, as experienced by a boy and his family. Colors figure prominently in the text, and the vibrant watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil illustrations take full advantage. Just like the Fogliano/Tamaki book above, you must read Green on Green aloud to fully experience its beauty.

THINGS THAT GO AWAY, by Beatrice Alemagna, is another creative look at change, but this time on a smaller scale, as moments transform with the turn of a velum page. Masterful use of color and appealingly quirky design in these oil paintings illustrates the “before" and “after” moments, ending with one thing that will never go away.

--Lynn

Shelf Awareness--Brown Girl Ghosted

YA Review: Brown Girl Ghosted

Brown Girl Ghosted by Mintie Das (Versify/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 304p., ages 14-up, 9780358128892)

Avenging Assamese warrior queens fight to save America's Heartland from an evil spirit in this humorous whodunnit that dismantles popularity, prejudice and the dubious perks of being a high school superhero.

As a brown girl in a mostly white town, 16-year-old Violet Choudhury feels the safest way for her to get through high school is to blend in. Unfortunately, Violet's heritage is at odds with her chosen method of survival. Her "great-great-multiplied-by-like-a-hundred-more-greats-grandmother" Ananya was the queen of the ancient kingdom of Assam, located in present-day India. Ananya used her supernatural powers to help the gods, who then honored her by making her and all of her future female lineage "Aiedeo": warriors tasked with protecting the world from demon kings.

Since there can be only one Aiedeo per generation, all of Violet's teachers have been immortal spirits. In middle school, she could hide the fact that her dead relatives were teaching her how to shape-shift, but, after an accident when she was 13, she began ignoring their existence. The Aiedeo are getting more persistent, though, demanding that she resume her training. When Naomi, "cheer captain and all-around head bitch," turns up dead after a sex tape surfaces, Violet is charged by the Aiedeo--and a vengeful Naomi fresh from the "Ghost World"--to find her killer.

Mintie Das does a terrific job blending the everyday concerns of her heroine with the awesome responsibilities her legacy demands. Violet's journey to claim her inheritance is a compelling one that is also plenty of fun. Snappy banter, plenty of action and a host of supernatural beings make Brown Girl Ghosted, the author's U.S. debut, a refreshing choice. --Lynn Becker, bloggerand host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI.

Discover: All Violet wants is to fit in, but when head cheerleader Naomi dies, Violet's supernatural ancestors insist she find the killer--or die herself.

April's Book of the Month--New Kid

Hello! I sincerely hope everyone out there is doing okay during this crazy time.

April’s Book of the Month is NEW KID, this year’s Newbery-winning graphic novel by Jerry Craft.

Twelve-year-old Jordan Banks always feels like he’s "falling without a parachute.” He loves to draw, and badly wants to go to art school, but his mom is determined to send him to “one of the best schools in the entire state,” a private school that “looks like Harvard or something.” Unfortunately, there’s a decided lack of diversity at Riverdale Academy, and Jordan and the few other kids—and teachers--of color are subjected to plenty of frustrating moments. But Jordan hangs in there, and learns a lot about navigating the world outside his own neighborhood of Washington Heights.

In Jordan, Craft has created a terrific character, one who’s honest and determined to make the best of a situation that’s not of his choosing. The graphic novel format works perfectly with Jordan’s own love of cartooning, and drawings from his sketchbook are sprinkled throughout the story. NEW KID is a quick and insightful read, and goes a long way towards helping skeptics how understand comics and graphic novels are award-worthy literature, too.

If you haven’t read NEW KID yet, don’t miss it!

--Lynn

Shelf Awareness--My Bison

PB Review: My Bison

My Bison by Gaya Wisniewski (Princeton Architectural Press, 36p., ages 4-7, 9781616898861)

Gaya Wisniewski's first book in English, My Bison, is a gentle story of love, loss and healing told through unadorned text and extraordinary illustration.

One spring, a young girl's mother holds her up to see a bison. "Look!" the mom says. "He's back!" The girl visits the meadow every day, getting closer and closer to the large animal until they're friends. The girl pets him and brings him food. But one morning, her bison must leave "to join up with the other bison." She wishes he could stay, but she's sure he'll return "when snow cover[s] the ground again." The girl is lonely until it's winter again, and her bison does return. He listens "with tenderness" as she relates stories about the forest she loves and all the things she's done while he was gone. The years go by and her bison leaves many times, always returning to the girl. Until one winter when he does not.

As the narrator imparts her story of unlikely friendship, Wisniewski's breathtaking art portrays the bison doing increasingly fantastical things, such as eating with a spoon, sipping tea at a table and lying tucked into a cozy bed. Likewise, as the story progresses and readers fall more deeply under its spell, the charcoal and ink illustrations become enhanced by strategically placed deep blue and mauve. The spare text, surrounded by plenty of white space, adds to the hushed tone of the piece, and leaves plenty of room for reflection. Deeply contemplative, never frightening, this fanciful tale of friendship amid the passing years is not to be missed. --Lynn Becker, blogger and host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI.

Discover: A girl narrates the magical story of her years-long friendship with a bison.

March Recommendations

Novels:

I don’t want to give away any spoilers by describing THE TOLL, by Neal Shusterman, which is the final book in his Arc of a Scythe Trilogy. For those who have read the previous two books, SCYTHE, and THUNDERHEAD, this final installment twines all threads together, ups the ante, and finishes the series with a flourish. It does not disappoint. (YA)

THE KINGDOM OF BACK, by Marie Lu, is a fantasy-infused account of the close relationship between musical genius Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart and his lesser-known sister, Maria Anna (Nannerl). Nannerl Mozart, a musical “miracle” herself, desperately wants to be a composer, but she lives in a time when women are defined by marriage and childbearing. She's drawn into an alternate world, a fairy story taking place in a land called the Kingdom of Back, where a wild-looking boy promises to help her achieve her heart’s desire. Fantasy and reality blur, and Nannerl must decide for herself what her legacy will be. (MG)

Graphic Novels:

BUG BOYS, by Laura Knetzger, is an odd and adorable friendship story between two bugs, the impulsive Rhino-B, and the quieter, more bookish Stag-B. It features a series of adventures, including treasure-hunting and bug-napping, delivering books to the strangely friendly Dome Spider at the Insect’s Library, a trip to a Bee Hive AND a Termite Hive, and so much more. Just like the storyline, the art is delicate and whimsical. (MG)

Picture Books:

THE LOVE LETTER, written by Anika Aldamuy Denise, illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins, is the story of three friends—Hedgehog, Bunny, and Squirrel—and how one shared letter sends a message of love that impacts them all. Denise's text is compact without seeming terse, and the illustrations are the usual top-notch stuff we are used to from Cummins.

IN A JAR, by Deborah Marcero, features two bunnies, Llewelyn and Evelyn, who bond over their love of collecting--and sharing--glass jars filled with everything from the mundane to the extraordinary. Then Evelyn moves away, and the two friends must figure out how to share from afar. Marcero’s text is spare and evocative, and her stylized art gives this story a unique look that serves it well.

In UP ON BOB, by Mary Sullivan, Bob is a dog who "has work to do." He must get his person’s bed perfectly arranged so he can have his nap. It’s hard work, but he likes hard work, and it pays off. But when the bed is finally ready, Bob gets a visit from a surprise Someone. Good thing the Someone likes hard work, too. The antics—and personalities—of Bob and Someone are perfectly portrayed in this picture book/easy reader hybrid.

--Lynn

March's Book of the Month--Dear Sweet Pea

March’s Book of the Month is the funny and heartwarming middle grade novel, DEAR SWEET PEA, by Julie Murphy.

When Sweet Pea’s parents get a divorce—or a “mindful division,” as her mom calls it--they set up “two completely separate houses on the same street that look just about as identical as two different houses could.” Right in between them lies the home of Miss Flora Mae, whose advice column, Miss Flora Mae I?, is read by practically everyone in town.

Miss Flora Mae goes on vacation, and she asks Sweet Pea to handle her mail. Sweet Pea needs to send along new questions for the column, and submit to the newspaper the ones that Miss Flora Mae has already answered. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, it all starts when Sweet Pea recognizes the handwriting on one of the letters that comes in. Before long, she has plenty of problems of her own, involving current best friend Oscar, previous best friend Kiera, divorce and more divorce. There’s also that small matter of barfing on Greg, the cute new seventh grader, at a Trampoline Zone party, and the fact that being a “juniors’ size eighteen” doesn’t mean she wants her graduation dress to resemble “dumpy floral” wallpaper.

For me, this book is all about the main character. In Sweet Pea, the author has written a funny, relatable, flawed-yet-earnest protagonist, one who springs to life on the very first page. The book may tackle a whole slew of issues, but for me it’s all about Sweet Pea.

Have you read DEAR SWEET PEA? What do you think?

--Lynn